Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is located in the Kashmir valley, surrounded by Himalayas on all sides. The city is located between 34°5' N and 74°47'E at an elevation of 1585 meters and spread out in an area of 294 sq kms.
The Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus River, flows through the city into the Dal Lake. The temperature in the city ranges from 29° C in summer to -2° C in winter. Snowfall in winter cuts road access to the city. Srinagar is connected through the National Highway no 1 A to Punjab and from there to the rest of the country. The NH 1A begins from Jalandhar in Punjab, travels through Srinagar, and further to Uri border in J&K., NH 1D is also known as the Srinagar-Leh road. It joins Srinagar to Kargil and then to Leh in Ladakh.
Srinagar City
Dal Lake in the heart of the city is its major landmark and a top tourist attraction, famous for its house-boats. Srinagar has a number of gardens and tourist spots near the Dal Lake. The gardens are those historically laid down by the Mughal emperors. Some of the tourist spots are
- Mughal Garden
- Shalimar Ghat
- Dargah Sharif is also known as Hazratbal Shrine. It is located on the left bank of the Dal Lake.
- Chashma Shahi Garden, laid by the Mughal emperor Jehangir in the 16th century is a few kilometers from the center of the city.
- Botanical Garden
- Hariparbat Fort
- Nagin Lake is joined to the Dal Lake by a causeway.
- The Lalit Grand Palace is a former palace of the maharaja now converted into a luxury hotel.
- Shankracharya temple is situated on a hill, 1100 feet above the city level. This Shiv temple is the oldest shrine in the city.
The city has a population of 10.94 lakhs. The residential areas in the city are Badami Bagh near the Cantonment, Aramwari, Ram Munshi Bagh, Maharajpur, Batmaloo, Wazir Bagh in the south. Some of the other residential areas in the north and center of the city are Akhon Mohalla, Mazgam, Nasim Bagh, Lal Bazaar, Kakar Bagh, Saidpura, Buchpora, Hafiz Bagh, Lati Mohala , Dangarpura, Khaga Bagh Colony.
The hotels in the city are located near the cantonment in the south, near the Boulevard Road. Some of the hotels are Sadaf, Blooming Dale, Swiss, and the Lalit Grand Palace.
Srinagar also has a number of educational institutes. There are three government schools; the Government Boys Higher secondary School is located in the south of the city near the cantonment, and another one in the north of the city near Batt Bagh. There is a Government girls higher secondary school in the north also. Some of the institutes for higher education are
- University of Agriculture Science & Technology
- Kashmir University
- Polytechnic college
- Islamia college of Science and Commerce
Important Landmarks in The City
- Industrial Estate in the north of the city
- Srinagar Development Authority in the South
- Haji Masjid
- Doona Pora Park
- Hariparbat Fort
- Hussain Park
- Golf Course
Last Updated on : 19/04/2013
